pricing forestry work

[luftwaffe]

Why dont they get a machine in to do it? Too many variables to say what to charge like terrain , species, tree size etc, if they are going to extract the timber by forwarder then the ground is suitible to travel with a harvester, for which it would only take about three days to complete as apposed to man on a saw what take weeks or months to complete, but knowing the highlands its probably plated on steep rocky ground for for which you fell sned and winch the trees to a hard standing ready for conversion into the required sizes.

[A Townsend]

Why dont they get a machine in to do it? Too many variables to say what to charge like terrain , species, tree size etc, if they are going to extract the timber by forwarder then the ground is suitible to travel with a harvester, for which it would only take about three days to complete as apposed to man on a saw what take weeks or months to complete, but knowing the highlands its probably plated on steep rocky ground for for which you fell sned and winch the trees to a hard standing ready for conversion into the required sizes.

 

We are on various estates that have had bad experiences with other contractors and will not allow our harvester on site so that maybe a reason for it. Id say about £12-13 a tonne for cutting, converting and stacking depending on how many specs there are to cut is about right going on what we are on down here.

There's no doubt about it, you can easily catch a cold with it if you are not sure on costings. Work out your day rate, look at the site and then base your rate accordingly. If you can't earn on production work what you would need on day rate then there is no point in having a piece rate.

 

Cheers Andrew

[chrisholmes19858]

We use 660s for all our cutting 20 inch bar cutting big coppice then put on 36 inch for oak timber bit heavy in coppice but cut fast on short bar and handle well saying that we don't cut anything that small if we can help it!

[Brushcutter]

We use 660s for all our cutting 20 inch bar cutting big coppice then put on 36 inch for oak timber bit heavy in coppice but cut fast on short bar and handle well saying that we don't cut anything that small if we can help it!

 

[shavey]

Honestly I'm not sure haha as far as I know what's happening is I'm getting subcontracted in to Fell sned and stack then someone else is getting subcontracted to collect and process all the logs after me as far as I'm aware a licence is in place but I've not even saw the job as I work all over the uk the job is based in the highlands and I'm down at the bottom of England right now. All sizes have been given to me through the phone so I haven't been able to asses it for myself as of yet.[/Quote

 

its sounds like you need a bit more information before you consider this job as it would be an ideal plantation for a harvester. it might well be steep and and difficult is it thinning or clearfell what species IE douglas, sitka , larch or pine are they straight and well brashed, not too much ivy are there good tracks, at 60-80ft there will be some bigger stuff so you wont be hand stacking those so will have to fell and process right for extraction and as others have said what happens to the brash

 

personally i would use a Good 50cc saw or at a push a 60cc saw

 

And if you have any doubt's take another contractor along and get a second opinion as you can lose out big time

all the best if you take the job it will take you 40-50 days with a chainsaw

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I have just started up myself and I have been offered a reasonable forest of about 1500 trees to take down about 60 to 80 foot each. I am only really experienced in tree surgery on a small scale like gardens and such. What would be the best way to price this at? What would be the best saw for the job is an ms 660 a bit overkill?

 

Sub it out to a forestry contractor (an experienced one).

[Graham w]

doing exactly this in premium sitka and have priced the job on an average of 4 ton per hour to fell, sned and roadside at £15 a ton gives a hourly rate of £60 per hour for a two man team and machine:001_smile:

 

a good felling saw 385xp with a 28 inch bar and for snedding 372xp with 18 inch bar, the other lad has a 460 and thats a tad too heavy imo

[santacruz]

You need to calculate your total costs per day to operate including what you want for yourself as a day rate taking into account risk etc. Then work out how many tons you will do every day. This gives you your price per ton at roadside. If you are not marketing the stuff then that is your price. For a standing price you need to estimate the product mix, although with the price of chip wood for biomass it is often best on small pieces to 9ft the lot. Get a rough idea of the value of each product. Calculate the average value of each ton and subtract your roadside price from this. It is wise to take into account the extra risk in marketing the stuff your self.

 

The key parts are working out how many tons per day. You must walk every inch of the job as finding something like a water pipe or badger set after you start can right balls you up. Also look out for key things like wagon access inc overhanging branches road condition etc, you may think it looks ok for a wagon and a wagon driver may come and start hauling but if it is at all awkward chances are if he can fill his day with easier work you wont see him again.

 

Just look at every angle befor you price it as forestry is hard enough without accidently under pricing.

[Wood wasp]

4t an hour average wouldnt leave you much slack I'd have thought. Hopefully nice and clean sticks!

[Mark Bolam]

doing exactly this in premium sitka and have priced the job on an average of 4 ton per hour to fell, sned and roadside at £15 a ton gives a hourly rate of £60 per hour for a two man team and machine:001_smile:

 

a good felling saw 385xp with a 28 inch bar and for snedding 372xp with 18 inch bar, the other lad has a 460 and thats a tad too heavy imo

 

What machine Graham?

Getting the product on the deck, presentable and in the right lengths is the easy part (and there's no easy in forestry!).

Getting it roadside, again, presentable, is the key.

 

 

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